□□ INDRAPRASTH □□

Yudhishtir, Bheem, Nakul and Sehdev were discussing the plans for the future of their Kingdom, they wanted to perform Rajsui yagya.

"How can we perform Rajsui yagya without a queen ?" Bheem asked.

"Jyesht you must marry a princess or a scholarly woman. Without a queen, the kingdom is like a child without a mother, a flower without fragrance, a night sky without moon." Nakul said.

"The task is easy. No one can say no to you." Sehdev said.

"Marriage is easy but finding the right one is hard. The entire future of our kingdom depends on who the queen would be." Yudhishtir said.

Suddenly Arjun came towards them with scroll in his hand.

"Jyesht we have received an invitation." Arjun said.

"What is it ?" Yudhishtir asked.

"Maharaj Kshitij of Saurashtra has invited us to their annual Navratri celebration." Arjun said.

"We should go Jyesht. It will benefit us politically." Sehdev said.

"And I have heard the Navratri celebration of Saurashtra like no other." Nakul said.

"It will also give us a relaxing break from all this stress." Bheem said.

"If all insist then we shall go." Yudhishtir said.

□□ SAURASHTRA □□

"Pitashree, Mata said that you spent most of your life in battle fields, have you met any great warriors ?" Sagarika asked.

"Putri, Bharatvarsh is a land of warriors. Vasudev Shri Krishna and his brother Balram, Kuru-samrat Dhritrashtra and his late brother Pandu, my gurukul friend Drupad and Dron, Magadh-samrat Jarasandh, Chedi Yuvraj Shishupal, all are great and brave warriors of this land." Kshitij said.

"How many battles have you fought ?" Sagarika asked.

"I lost the count a long time ago. But I don't plan of going on more wars." Kshitij said.

"Why ?" Sagarika asked.

"After getting you from Samudradev, I realised how beautiful life can be and it should be saved from the horrors of war at all costs." Kshitij said cupping her face.

Suddenly a Dasi entered their room.

"Pranipat to Maharaj and Rajkumari, Panchal-raj Drupad have entered our premises with Rajkumar Drishtadyumn,  Rajkumar Shikhandi and his daughter in law Darsanika." Dasi said.

"Marvellous. Come daughter I will introduce you to them." Kshitij said.

On the other side Drupad was waiting for Kshitij with his sons and daughter in law.

"The annual Navratri this year is extremely grand." Drishtadyumn said.

"Well, Maharaj Kshitij finally got a daughter after years of trying." Shikhandi said.

"Just for a daughter he is organizing such a big celebration ?" Darsanika asked.

"I don't understand. Kshitij already had a glorious son then why would he wish for a daughter ?" Drupad wondered.

"Not all are like you Pitashree, there are some who know the value of a daughter." Shikhandi taunted.

"Shut up." Drupad said.

"Welcome my friend !" Kshitij said towards them. Drupad smiled as he embraced his Gurukul friend.

"Pranipat Maharaj." The children of Drupad greeted.

"Kalyanamatu ! Meet my daughter, Samudra-kumari, Neelakshi Sagarika." Kshitij introduced.

"Pranipat." She greeted. Drupad became speechless after seeing her. While his sons and daughter in law were in awe.

Looking at her something lit up inside Drupad, a fatherly instinct which he never felt till now. He had raised Shikhandi not as his child but as warrior, he did a yagya and obtained Drishtadyumn for revenge and not because he truly wanted a son.

"Kalyanamastu putri." Drupad said patting her cheek.

Seeing Sagarika, Drupad realized that he had made a big mistake by raising Shikhandini as a son and denying the blessing of having a daughter, Drupad cursed himself thinking that he could've obtained a daughter just like her.

'Oh how beautiful and adorable she is, it must have taken Kshitij and Bhabhi Ambika to perform severe austerities. A daughter like her can only be obtained from the blessings of gods. She is the sweetest dream come true.' Drupad thought looking at her.

"Extremely lucky you are Kshitij that you are blessed with a daughter like Sagarika. And extremely unfortunate I am that in ignorance I denied giving ahuti for a daughter." Drupad said smiling sadly.

"My daughter is also your daughter Drupad." Kshitij said.

"Oh she is." Drupad smiled pinching her cheeks making her chuckle.

Drishtadyumn, Shikhandi and Darsanika looked at him with shock but they were happy that Drupad finally understood the value of a daughter.

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A/N

UNLIKE WHAT TV SERIALS SHOW, SHIKHANDINI BECAME A MAN LONG BEFORE THE WAR.

FROM CHILDHOOD SHE WAS RAISED BY DRUPAD AS BOY. HERE'S THE STORY HOW SHE COMPLETELY BECAME A MAN -

AND I WASN'T ABLE TO FIND WHAT WAS THE NAME OF SHIKHANDI'S WIFE BUT SHE WAS PRINCESS OF DARSANA SO WE'LL JUST CALL HER DARSANIKA.